Apparatus for separating fuel and other oils from



1927' I k w GRIEEN ETAL E. APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING WATER CONTAMINATED THEREWITH Filed Auz. 14, 1925 F EL AND OTHER OILS FROM 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR5 mkhwi pl... Attorney July 26, 1927.

. 1,636,815 E. W. GREEN ET AL APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING FUEL AND OTHER OILS FRO! WATER CONTAMINATED 'THEREWITH File Auz- 1925 3 Shoots-Shout Edwfn Wlihm Grggn 1 Harbr' Ogden mvsu-r Patented July 26, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD WILLIAM GREEN, OF LONDON, AND HERBERT OGDEN, 0F WESTCLIFF-ONSEA,

ENGLAND.

APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING' FUEL AND OTHER OILS FROM WATER CONTAMINATED THEREWITH.

Application filed August 14, 1925, Serial No. 50,204, and in Great Britain August 26, 1924.

This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for separating immiscible liquids such as fuel oil and water which occurs for example in the form of ballast water from the fuel oil tanks on board ship and has for one of its objects the provision of means whereby the required separation can be more simply, reliably and readily effected than has been possible heretofore; a further object being the arrangement of parts and means whereby the apparatus when installed on board ship can be easily adjusted to enable eflicient separating operation to be obtained without reducing the rateof flow through the apparatus regardless of the list or trim of said ship.

The invention consists in an improved apparatus for separating immiscible liquids such as fuel oil and water from one another and comprises a tank, a channel or channels arranged in the upper part of said tank, said channel or channels in which the said liquids tend to stratify being adapted to receive the admixed liquids for separation, perforations in the floor of each of said channels for permitting the liquid having the greater specific gravitv to pass downwardly under the action of gravity, a series of perforations in a side wall of each of said channels for permitting the liquid having a less specific gravity to pass out from said channel on to the upper surface of the liquids in the tank, a discharge weir for the liquid having the greater specific gravity, a conduit delivering liquid to said weir from the lower part of said tank, a conduit for receiving such liquid and conducting it to the exterior of the tank, a discharge weir for the liquid having the less specific gravity and a conduit for receiving the discharge from the last named weir. and conducting it to the exterior of the tank, the weirs in some cases being arranged in proximity to and parallel with one another as a structure which can be angularly displaced relatively to the tank.

In the drawings:-

Figure 1 is a longitudinal. section through one form of apparatus constructed in accordance'with this invention, the section being taken on the line 1--1 of Figure 4 hereinafter referred to.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the apparatus illustrated in Figure 1. x

Figure 3 is an end elevation of the apparatus illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 looking in the direction of the arrow 3, and

Figure 4 is a transverse section of the apparatus illustrated in the preceding fig ures, the section being taken on line 44 of Figure 1. i v

Figure 5 is a detail view of the parts formingthe swivelling hearing.

The apparatus illustrated in the drawings is particularly suited for separating the fuel oil from ballast water and comprises a tank a, longitudinally arranged channels 6 b, a feed distributing device 0, a weir structure d pivoted at e anl flexible delivery pipes f and g for the water and oil respectively.

The tank a is of more or less ordinary form and construction and is provided with the necessary stitfeners and gussets to enable a satisfactory structure to be made; the tank sides carry the necessary brackets h h for supporting the channels 6 Z) in position, and

the top edge of the tank has the means for angularly adjusting the weir structure (Z mounted thereon.

The channels 6 7) are each provided with a plurality of perforations in the bottom thereof and with two series of slots or per forations Z". and Z in the sides disposed in proximity to the wall of the tank a. The lower series of perforations k are for operation when the apparatus is operating with a normal. feed whilst the upperscries Z is available for use should the apparatus be slightly surcharged with a viscous oil or tilted transversely. In the event of the channels 7) b being seriously surcharged then relief is obtained by the fluid in the said channels Z; 7) flowing over the sides m m, the upper edges of which are suitably located to enable this to be effected without unduly disturbing the proper action of the apparatus or spilling the fluids.

The channels I) 7) are supplied by a feed distributing device 0 which is mounted upon one end of the tank 0; and is for reasons of economy of space and maintenance of efficiency of operation of inverted triangular shape. The upper part of the end of the tank a upon which the device 0 is mounted has two apertures 01 a therein suitably disposed relative to the channels 6 b for delivery of fluid thereto, the lower edge of said apertures nnbeing located above the floor of the channels b so as to form delivery wen's over which the fluid passes on its way from the device c te the channels I) b. The device 0 is si'ipp'lie'd "with fluid through the 'valve 0 which is situated in close proximity with the 1' is located below the upper edge of the late 9. The trunnion e is disposed at the ower part of the plates 9. and rand is secured in position by any suitable mechanical means. A plate It mounted on the; plate '7', .is "orle's s depth than the said platar to which is connected at the sides and lower 7 edge, the upper "edge of thelsaid plate tebe-' ingflevel with the upper edge of the plate q, the plate at being also ma ntained 1n spaced relation with the plate 1" by spacer-s8.

The plates g7" and't are arranged within an open topped chamber a and pass through the bottomwot" said chamber. The chamber 14' is of greater length than the length of the plates'gw and t-in'orderthat the part a of the said chamber u shall communicate with the, remainder.

The wall 2 of the chamber u and the Y plate at are provided with elbows o and w respectively,said elbows being supportedzat their free ends by brackets The free endsiof the elbows 4; and w are connectedto thewall a of the tank cab-y means of the flexible pipes g and respectively, the wall M the plate 6 and the wall a being suitably perforatedin order that the'chamber u and the space between the plates r and may communicatewiththe exterior of the tank a} To control the flow through the pipes f and'g valves 3/ and 3 are provided.

I l I In order that the stratunroi' Oll can be discharged when necessary a valve controlledservice pipe 2 is suitably arranged as shown to, deliver water tothe spacebetween the platesq and made partially drain the tan-1m a valve controlled service 2 is also provided. a l V 01 angularlydisplace the, weir structure and maintain it in an angularly displaced position the said structure is provided with two upstanding lugs 1/1 'having'a nut 20 which ispijvot'ed for angular displacement of its airifs, The nut u is-mounted on a screw drotatably supported in the swivell ng bearing u? COIIlpflS lIlg a block a having projections ur rotatably supported by the tarsu in the brackets n (see Fig. 5)

carried by the flange otthey tank a. The screw 1& is provided with a hand wheel u to enable convenient rotation of said screw 1& to be effected when it is nece-ssary to adji'isttheweii structure a)" weary dislitib: are the flow of fluid over the upper edge oi? the plate 7' and theupper edge u? of thjeeh'alhber a. a

I'll operation the fluids to be separated, for exam le the ballast water from fuel oil tanks, is supplied to the device through the valve 0 From the-device o the fluids pass over the lower edge of the apertures 02 a into the channels b 12. Assuming the tank a to be filled with wateror other fluid the fluids admittedv to the channels I) I) stratify andthe heavier fluid such for example'as water passes through the perforations; 7', whilst the lighter fluid such as fueloil for example passes through the lower series of perforations 7c and forms an" upper stratum of oil in the' tank a. 3 and 3 are open and: suflicient' fluid is present the heavier liquid is displaced upwards between the plates g and 1' and'discharges .over the upper edge 7" of the -plate 0* into the space between the plates 1* and t and from thence through the elbow w, flexible pipe f and valve y to the exterior of the tank 56 whilst the uppermost layer of oil If the valves discharges over the upper -edge a of the chamber a into said chamber, and i from thence through the elbow xv, flexiblepipe g and valve 2 to the exterior of the tank a.

WVhenthe wholeof the fluids to separated have been passed into the tank aand it is required; to completely remove the lighter fluid such as oil, the valve 3/ may be closed and heavier fluid such as water may be delivered to the space between the plates iq and r from the services:untilthevwhole of the oil stratum-is displacedwjover the edge u" of the chamber a. l v

A large proportion of the watercontaine d in the tank (is can be discharged through the service a sothat a convenient travelling 1 level can be easily obtained. A M

It wlllbe noticed that the upper edge 1" of the plate r is slightly below the edge a of the chan'rbcr t; this is to provide for the l be colnpensated for by adjusting the weir structureb i means of the hand wheel u ant proxuded t e edges 1* and 41, are in close 1 proximity to one anotherno. adjustment for list is required, but it must be understood that efficient separating operationof-the ap paratus'is by no means dependent upon, the close proximity of the edges 7" and u.

During operation or upon the completion of operation of the apparatus it is convenient to be able to ascertain the position of the interface of the strata and to enable this to he easily accomplished lest cocks such as a and a may be fitted in a wall of the tank Although no special reference has been made to cleaning facilities the tank a may be fitted with such manholes as may be necessary and expedient.

WV e claim 1.. An apparatus for separating immiscible liquids from one another con'iprising a tank, channels in which the liquids tend to stratify arranged in the upper part of said tank, said channels being adapted to receive the admixed liquids for separation, perforations in the floor of each of said channels for permitting the liquid having the greater specific gravity to pass downwardly under the action of gravity, a series of perforations in a side wall of each of said channels for permitting the liquid having a less specific gravity to pass out from said channels on to the upper surface of the liquids in the tank,-

a discharge weir for the liquid having the greater specific gravity, a conduit delivering such liquid to said weir from the lower part of said tank, a conduit for receiving the liquid from the weir and conducting it to the exterior of the tank, a discharge weir for the liquid having the less specific gravity and a conduit for receiving the liquid from the last named weir and conducting it to the exterior of the tank.-

2. An apparatus for separating immiscible liquids from one another comprising a tank, stratification channels for receiving the admixed liquids, perforations in the floor of each channel for allowing the densest liquid to pass downwardly, perforations in a side wall of each channel for allowing the less dense liquid to pass lat rally, a weir structure as an independent unit located in said tank and conduits for conveying the separating liquids discharged over the weirs to the exterior of the tank.

3. An appa 'atus for separating immiscible liquids from one another comprising a tank, stratification channels for receiving the admixed liquids, perforations in the floor of each channel for allowing the densest liquid to pass downwardly, perforations in a side wall of each channel for allowing the less dense liquid to pass laterally, a weir structure as an independent unit located in said. tank, means for angularly displacing said structure in the vertical planes containing the weirs and relatively to the tank and flexible conduits for conveying the separated liquids discharged over the weirs to the exterior of the tank.

4-. An apparatus for separating immiscible liquids from one another comprising a tank, stratification channels for receiving the ad.- mixed liquids, perforations in the floor of each channel for allowing the densest liquid to pass downwardly, perforations in a side wall of each channel for allowing the less dense liquid to pass laterally, a partition in said tank extending from the upper edge of the tank into proximity with the floor of the tank, a second partition in said tank in proximity with the first named partition and connected thereto by side walls the upper edge of said second partition being located so as to act as a weir for the denser liquid and the lower edge of said second partition being in proximity with the floor of the tank, a third partition in said tank extending from the upper edge of the tank downwardly and being connected to said second partition to form a chamber for receiving the discharge over the weir, a conduit for conveying the denser liquid from said chamber to the exterior of the tank, a chamber on the first and third named partitions having an upper edge for acting as a weir for the less dense liquid and a conduit for conveying the less dense liquid from the last named chamber to the exterior of the tank.

5. In an apparatus as claimed in claim 4 the arrangement of a trunnion in the tank for pivotally supporting the partitions, \veirs and chambers as a structure and means for angularly displacing the structure in the vertical planes COIliTtllDlIlg the weir-s, the conduits from said chambers be ing flexible so as to permit of the displacement.

EDlVABD WILLIAM GREEN. HER-BERT OGDEN. 

